1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an inkjet printer. More particularly, the present invention relates to a printing control system and method for an inkjet printer that is provided to increase printing speed by substantially eliminating delays between feed and print operations.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 shows a construction example of a conventional inkjet printer. Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional inkjet printer comprises ink cartridges 11 and 12, a carrier 20, a paper feeding tray 30, and a feeding roller 40.
The respective ink cartridges 11 and 12 contain an ink, and each comprises a print head (not shown) for ejecting the ink contained therein. The carrier 20 carries the ink cartridges 11 and 12 while reciprocating a predetermined distance along a guide bar 55 installed in the printer body 50, so that the ink cartridges 11 and 12 can perform a line printing on a paper P (shown in outline only). The paper feeding tray 30 is loaded with papers (not shown), and the feeding roller 40 moves a paper P loaded in the paper feeding tray 30 to a printing area beneath the ink cartridges 11 and 12.
The conventional inkjet printer constructed as described above receives printing commands and feeding commands from a host, and a controller controls the driving of the carrier 20 and the feeding roller 40 according to respective commands, so that printing is executed on the paper P. Specifically, a paper P fed from the paper feeding tray 30 is delivered by the feeding roller 40 and stops at a printing position. At this time, the carrier 20 drives the ink cartridges 11 and 12 to pass over the paper P, and the ink cartridges 11 and 12 eject ink, so that a line of printing is performed on the paper P. Then, as the carrier 20 goes beyond the paper P and stops at the opposite side of the paper, the feeding roller 40 performs so-called “line feeding”, in which the feeding roller moves the paper P by a predetermined distance according to a feeding command. After the paper P is stopped, the carrier 20 is driven according to a next printing command and the ink is again ejected onto the paper P. As the line feeding of the paper P and the reciprocation of the carrier 20 are repeated in this manner, one printed page is completed on the paper P.
With the conventional inkjet printer example as described above, the carrier 20 starts to move after a line feeding of a paper P is completed, as shown in FIG. 2. In FIG. 2, the travel period and velocity of the carrier 20 is shown, defining a first and second printing, and a travel period and velocity of the feeding roller 40 is shown, defining a paper line feed, wherein the V-axis represents velocity and the T-axis represents time. However, a printing area, such as DI where the ink is substantially ejected onto the paper P, does not coincide with a time point TC where the feeding roller 40 stops and the carrier 20 starts to move. An actual line printing on a paper P therefore, is delayed for a predetermined time length after a line feeding of a paper P is completed.
As a result, a line printing cannot be initiated right after a line feeding of a paper P is completed, thereby causing a time delay. Therefore, a printing speed of an inkjet printer is reduced.
Accordingly, a need exists for a printing control method for an inkjet printer that can substantially increase printing speeds by reducing the time delays experienced by a printer between a time where a line feeding of a paper is completed, and a time where a line printing is initiated.